| [GMCnet] Non GMC overheating Christmas eve [message #194062] |
Wed, 26 December 2012 14:29  |
emerystora
Messages: 4442
Registered: January 2004
Karma: 13
|
Senior Member |
|
|
When leaving my Daughter's house last night in our Jeep Cherokee it started boiling out about 2 miles from her house and 16 miles from home. Fortunately there was a gas station open and I pulled into it. After letting it cool a while I filled it with water. I started it and it boiled over again.
I had a few tools in it so I pulled the thermostat. It was stuck in the closed position. I reassembled it without a thermostat and drove home. However it was very cold out so I figured I'd better put in some antifreeze. I checked the outdoor temperature and it was -12 deg F at 11:45 pm. I changed my clothes and crawled under enough to drain off the radiator. I had to go in the house about every ten minutes to thaw out my hands. The coolant freeze point tested at + 30. I had two gallons of antifreeze in the garage so I put that in.
If I hadn't taken care of it I probably would have cracked the block at those temperatures.
Now I have to go out and buy a thermostat. At least it is up to +20 right now at 1:20 pm. I had been waiting for it to warm up but it is now starting to go down again.
Quite an ordeal at the end of a long Christmas day. I guess the moral is to always carry some tools for minor repairs.
Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Frederick, CO
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Non GMC overheating Christmas eve [message #194063 is a reply to message #194062] |
Wed, 26 December 2012 14:35  |
lqqkatjon
Messages: 2324
Registered: October 2010
Location: St. Cloud, MN
Karma: 5
|
Senior Member |
|
|
at least most of the cherokees I have worked on, the thermostat was easy to get to. but still not fun when it is cold!
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Non GMC overheating Christmas eve [message #194077 is a reply to message #194062] |
Wed, 26 December 2012 20:14 |
JohnL455
Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL
Karma: 12
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Thermostats seem to fall into the "they don't make them like they used to' category. In my Tahoe the temp gauge at highway cruise would cycle 20 deg up and down all day on a cold day. Either sticking or overshooting/correcting. I just put in a 195 Stant Superstat (priced over double the base model) as they advertize it has tapered valving and won't do that. So far--- so good. That and one Barsleak tablet and partial replacement of 50/50 Dexcool/distilled water by top off so it should be OK now.
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Non GMC overheating Christmas eve [message #194082 is a reply to message #194062] |
Wed, 26 December 2012 21:38 |
roy1
Messages: 2126
Registered: July 2004
Location: Minden nevada
Karma: 6
|
Senior Member |
|
|
| emerystora wrote on Wed, 26 December 2012 12:29 |
When leaving my Daughter's house last night in our Jeep Cherokee it started boiling out about 2 miles from her house and 16 miles from home. Fortunately there was a gas station open and I pulled into it. After letting it cool a while I filled it with water. I started it and it boiled over again.
I had a few tools in it so I pulled the thermostat. It was stuck in the closed position. I reassembled it without a thermostat and drove home. However it was very cold out so I figured I'd better put in some antifreeze. I checked the outdoor temperature and it was -12 deg F at 11:45 pm. I changed my clothes and crawled under enough to drain off the radiator. I had to go in the house about every ten minutes to thaw out my hands. The coolant freeze point tested at + 30. I had two gallons of antifreeze in the garage so I put that in.
If I hadn't taken care of it I probably would have cracked the block at those temperatures.
Now I have to go out and buy a thermostat. At least it is up to +20 right now at 1:20 pm. I had been waiting for it to warm up but it is now starting to go down again.
Quite an ordeal at the end of a long Christmas day. I guess the moral is to always carry some tools for minor repairs.
Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Frederick, CO
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
|
Sounds like those Colorado winters are colder then New Mexico winters.
Roy Keen
Minden,NV
76 X Glenbrook
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Non GMC overheating Christmas eve [message #194107 is a reply to message #194062] |
Thu, 27 December 2012 12:49 |
habbyguy
Messages: 896
Registered: May 2012
Location: Mesa, AZ
Karma: 3
|
Senior Member |
|
|
I hope Emery's Cherokee is an "older one" (they're ALL older by now, of course...). They changed the head design of the venerable 6-cylinder inline in (IIRC) 2000, to a design with a casting flaw (or poor design) between cylinders 3 & 4. It's fine as long as you don't get it too hot, but if you do overheat it, it's quite common for the head to crack and start pumping coolant into the oil.
Other than that foible, the Jeep 6-cylinder is about as bullet-proof an engine as you can find. Mine's got 220,000 miles on it now, and starts and runs like a new one - plus it returns about 24mpg on the highway (with 3.07 gears, 31" tires and some modifications like multi-port fuel injectors and headers, etc.). Can't ask for more than that in a vehicle that can climb trees!
Mark Hickey
Mesa, AZ
1978 Royale Center Kitchen
|
|
|
|
GMCforum
Search
Help
Register
Login
Home
